Rich and Tasty Vegan Pesto

Vegan Pesto that doesn't taste vegan......

Sometimes it’s hard not to judge. Pesto is a time honored traditional food, and you may be a skeptic about making changes to a recipe such as this, but this recipe works, and it adds a serious burst of flavor to any dish. I don’t miss the cheese, and a little dollop will do ya– as it is plenty rich and perfectly tangy.

It’s great in the summer when basil is easy to find and cheap to purchase, but you can find the ingredients year round. And even though this recipe calls for pine nuts, you can substitute walnuts or pumpkin seeds for variation in flavor and in the cost of the nuts.

Finally, you can old school it with a mortar and pestle if you want to take the time, but I just used the food processor, or you can also use a high speed blender to create this marvelous sauce.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups packed fresh basil

1/3 cup cold pressed olive oil

1 cup pine nuts, or other raw nut of your choice

5 cloves peeled garlic

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

3/4 teaspoon himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

a little extra water to adjust consistency

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in the food processor until the nuts are ground. Add salt and pepper and water to adjust consistency.

Look, this recipe may seem a little costly at the outset– basil and pine nuts are pricier items. Here’s what is awesome about this sauce; it is highly flavored so I just use a little bit, and it keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks. Because you don’t need much, don’t worry about the high calorie content. It is really a superb recipe and we use it in all sorts of dishes.

One of my favorite is roasted brussel sprouts, and this sauce is a component in this recipe that I prepare regularly for my family. I serve it with beans (try my perfect pot of beans recipe) and roasted sweet potatoes or another starchy veg for a complete meal. It just rounds out the meal nicely to have those decadent brussel sprouts that have been coated in basil pesto. Yum!

There are so many different ways you can use this sauce, and I hope you enjoy it for years to come. It’s healthy, it stores well and it goes great with nearly everything!!!

Try it on roasted vegetables of all kinds, in salad dressings and a dollop to your favorite Italian soup, like my basic minestrone. Simply fabulous.

This recipe initially came from The Spruce Eats and you can view it here.

Here is my jar...... delicious!!!

Enjoy this healthy treat that keeps on delivering.

When I took this picture, this jar had already been in the fridge for a week. I love to add it to my basic vegan caesar salad dressing to kick it up a notch, or turn a spoonful into a load of roasted veg to really boost the flavor of our weeknight meals.

Remember, it’s going to last you for a while, so it’s fun to find new and creative ways to use this amazing, versatile, healthy and vegan pesto sauce!

Did you try this recipe?

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